Wow, I knew this was going to be one that hit home, but it was even more than I expected! As a biracial Asian American with parental issues, it was like I could feel everything Grace dealt with. It was crazy seeing my type of experiences fleshed out, especially growing up a minority in Texas! Kristen allows us to step into our MC shoes and feel her guilt of leaving her mother behind, but then also of leaving her husband behind as she realizes she needs more. We realize that love doesn’t always grow just from safety and convenience. We also find out how a mother and daughter can take their shared traumatic past and begin anew after forgiveness and acceptance.
Of course, on top of all that goodness, there is also Elvis, and who can pass that up?

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review!

TW: alcoholism, abuse, infidelity, anxiety, cancer

I really had no idea what to expect when i chose this read now book. I am glad I got it though.
I wouldn't call it a fun read but a learning read. I say this because it's about having to learn how to adapt to life's challenges and except each other for whom the other person is/was.
I enjoyed this book a lot! I couldn't put it down. Just some fantabulous writing going on with story for sure and certain.
Honestly this book had me snickering, crying and wanting to hug Grace for her bravery throughout this book.
Y'all sometimes you'll feel like shouting at Grace's mother until you know the real reason why. Then you'll want to cry..
These two ladies are in for a ride of their lifetime and I loved taking it with them. They certainly met some interesting people along the way.
Grace's mom sounds a lot like me though. Too stubborn and hard headed about getting her own way especially when you're on a mission.
This is in my opinion one of the best reads or will be in 2022/2023. I simply loved it and I highly recommend it!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed reading about this mother-daughter duo on their road trip. It was nice to see their relationship grow during the quest to get to Graceland. I also enjoyed that the book wasn't just about the two of them - they built other relationships along the way with old friends and brand new strangers who turned into friends. It was a fun read, and I recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC prior to its release.

Who can forget those rites of passage, stuck in a car with loved ones who drive us nuts for hours on end until someone pukes or punches their seatmate?!
Debut novelist Kristen Mei Chase mines our collective road trip memory and delivers a first work with entertaining characters and a perfect landing in sequined mermaid clogs.
In Ms. Chase’s upcoming release, “A Thousand Miles to Graceland,” the last thing corporate accountant Grace Johnson thinks she needs is more time alone with her bizarre Chinese mother after Grace’s abusive military father has died. It takes Grace’s husband leaving their languishing marriage to snap Grace out of her tedious life in Boston and convince her to fly back to her hometown of El Paso, Texas. There she picks up her Elvis-obsessed mother for a once-in-a-lifetime road trip to Graceland in Memphis.
Finding her diminutive mother packed and ready to go dressed in leopard-print biker shorts, non-matching leopard-print halter top, and hot pink belt would have been bad enough; but her mama’s signature beehive wig, and wooden platforms makes much taller and conservative Grace reconsider her hasty agreement to be seen in public together.
She monologues herself into not running away: “[when] I decided to take Mama on her epic road trip of a lifetime, I figured that it would hurt at first, but then I’d come back to a fresh start. And maybe I could distract myself from replaying all the decisions I’d made that led me to this point.”
As they motor from Texas to Louisiana, then from Mississippi to Tennessee, they both get more distractions than they bargained for. With psychics, new chances at love, Elvis-sightings, and their purple convertible, this mother-daughter pair make a hilarious journey against a backdrop of loss and pain that would make anyone sing the blues. Ms. Chase ends her debut novel with an uplifting twist that surprised me with its *grace.* A solid debut from a new author that touches on topics like domestic violence, death, grief, and complicated mother-daughter relationships.
Kudos to Ms. Chase on her own first leg of her author journey, I hope to read more from her!
My rating: 4.5 stars

Books about friendships are always my favorite. A Thousand Miles To Graceland did not disappoint. This was a well written, and fun book to read. I liked that there were some deeper moments sprinkled in the story as well. The character development was excellent and the story flowed smoothly. This was a great book of a mother-daughter relationship that I would definitely recommend to others.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


A delightful read about mother and daughter relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review.

This book is a really fun read about a mother/daughter road trip. I liked how it wove in the daughter moving on from her marriage and the mother/daughter relationship, as well as Asian culture. It was a great light read, that also had some depth. It was also a super quick read!

A Thousand Miles to Graceland by Kristen Mei Chase was a spectacular debut.

Grace Johnson and her Momma are taking a road trip to El Paso to Memphis... After Grace's husband delivers a devastating announcement that he is done with their marriage it's time for Grace to grant her Mother's birthday wish and take a trip to Graceland.
Can Grace and her Elvis-obsessed mother fix their delicate relationship along the way?
And overcome all the hurt from their past!

This was truly an enjoyable story.
Realistic, powerful and life changing for all involved.
The characters are interesting and with a past. I couldn't stop reading their story.
Kristen Mei Chase gave us some memorable characters with distinct traits.
Extremely heartwarming and good humored and very well paced.
A Thousand Miles to Graceland was everything I wanted in a book.
Compelling, awesome writing, couldn't put down and one strong story I won't soon forget about.
A testament to the power of family, love, mothers, daughters and of course Elvis!

A job well done Kristen, on your tender, loving debut!
I wish I could give this one all the stars because I would!

Rating: 4.5

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Forever,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

This book was fun it shows how one person or object can help a person get through some hard times. This book would not only be good for people that went through a divorce but also lost someone that died and just need a pick me up. This book is approved for me to read and review by netgalley and the publisher.

In “A Thousand Miles to Graceland,” Grace, a half Caucasian/ half Chinese American tax accountant in her forties goes on a road trip with her estranged Chinese American mother, Loralynn to celebrate Loralynn’s 70th birthday, traveling from El Paso, Texas to Memphis, Tennessee, stopping along the way and meeting an interesting cast of characters. During the course of the trip, the reader discovers that Grace and her mother were victimized by Grace’s abusive, alcoholic father. Grace resented Loraylnn for not standing up for her against her father, and also for Loralynn’s obsession with Elvis Presley, an obsession that manifested itself in the form of polyester sequined outfits, large black wigs and a large Elvis figurine collection.

Grace’s close and unavoidable proximity to Loralynn during the course of their road trip forces Grace to acknowledge her lifelong resentments of her mother and to realize how her past has shaped her inability to form close relationships or to take risks. The book is character driven, with fully fledged characters, even the ones that make cameo appearances throughout the book. It is a moving tribute to mother/daughter relationships and how they can shape us as adults. I loved every aspect of this book, and enjoyed watching Grace grow as a person and overcome her past resentments of her mother as she learned to appreciate and love her.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. Grace, a Chinese-American woman who is newly separated from her husband, embarks on a roadtrip to Graceland with her eccentric mother, Loralynn. Did I mention Loralynn is an Elvis mega-fan? What I loved most about this book was the emphasis on mother-daughter relationships. These relationships can be complicated to portray, but Kristin Mei Chase hits the mark here with a fresh and unique story. Loralynn’s obsession with Elvis annoys Grace, but I found it to be an endearing fandom and Mei Chase’s writing will transport you directly to the Southern United States. On the other hand, I would have liked to see a more well-developed main character at the beginning of the story. I found that almost every other character was well-developed, but Grace was not initially. For fans of Jetsetteers by Amanda Eyre Ward! Content/trigger warnings: child abuse, medical problems, anxiety. (3 stars rounded up to 3.5 stars).

A Thousand Miles to Graceland by Kristen Mei Chase is a wonderful contemporary fiction that highlights the importance of friends, family, and one’s own happiness in life.

I really enjoyed this contemporary/women’s fiction that focuses on the internal and external struggles of Grace Johnson. The relationship between Grace and her Momma. The road trip was therapeutic in more ways than one. What started as a fun trip to Graceland, turned into so much more.

I enjoyed the balance of fun and light-hearted material in the narrative with the more serious subject matter. The process of working through her own concerns, questions, and place and purpose in life, and the answers that she finds during this road trip was refreshing and warming.

I am looking forward to more from this author in the future.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Forever ( Grand Central Publishing) for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 1/24/23.